Tag: end-of-life care

Valley Hospice and Reynolds Memorial Hospital are holding a free, community screening of the documentary “Being Mortal,” which explores end of life care:

Thursday,March 23, 2017

From 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.

Betty Beebe Habig Room at Reynolds Memorial Hospital

After the screening, audience members can participate in a guided conversation on how to take concrete steps to identify and communicate wishes about end of life goals and preferences.

End of Life Care, Glen Dale, WV

“Being Mortal” delves into the hopes of patients and families facing terminal illness. The film investigates the practice of caring for the dying and explores the relationships between patients and their doctors. It follows a surgeon, Dr. Atul Gawande, as he shares stories from the patients and families he encounters.

When Dr. Gawande’s own father gets cancer, his search for answers about how best to care for the dying becomes a personal quest. The film sheds light on how a medical system focused on a cure often leaves out the sensitive conversations that need to happen so a patient’s true wishes can be known and honored at the end.

“Being Mortal” underscores the importance of people planning ahead and talking with family members about end of life decisions.

70 percent of Americans say they would prefer to die at home, but nearly 70 percent die in hospitals and institutions.

90 percent of Americans know they should have conversations about end of life care, yet only 30 percent have done so.

In February 2015, “Being Mortal” aired nationally on the PBS program “Frontline.” For more information about the film, visit here. The film is adapted from Dr. Gawande’s 2014 nationally best-selling book of the same name. More information about the book can be found here.